DOUBT
by sylviaachristel
Summary: The aftermath of Alex Weskers plans in Sushestvovanie Island have left their marks on Claire and Natalia. Noticing Alex's influence on Natalia, Claire decides to dance with the devil, also known as the supposedly dead Albert Wesker. Save Natalia and destroy Alex Wesker once and for all, that is the plan. Though this deal between Claire and Mr. Wesker comes with many sacrifices..
1. RIDE

Hello and welcome to my third Wesklaire Fanfic, my newest project called "Doubt". Listening to a lot of Twentyone Pilots songs and rethinking the Ending of RE:REV2 made me write this piece. I noticed that there aren't any post REV2 fanfics, which is really sad. However, I'm trying to change that. My first fanfic was post REV 2, however not so in depth as this one is going to be.

To me, Doubt is a really special project and a really difficult one, too. I'll try my best to present you my ideas of this story. Yesterday, I posted my second Wesklaire fanfic, called Working For It, which is a totally different direction than this. This is going to be a bit more darker than WFI.

Now, have fun reading the prologue of Doubt called "Ride", also inspired by a song from 21P. I hope my grammar is bearable and you will enjoy reading it. Have fun xxx

I do not own any of these character, but if I did i would fuck them up real good. Because that's what I can do best... Fuck up things.

Also: "..."- talking 'italics'- thoughts

 **XXX**

 **00: RIDE**

The room was dark. The screen of the laptop the only resource of light. The only sounds were coming from the said machine, a humming sound. A man starring absorbed at the screen, glasses on the bridge of his nose. A glass of fine brandy on his left hand. The mans brows in a straight, serious line, reading the content of the report in front of him.

" _Having the T-Veronica Virus and T-Phobos inside of its body with no actual disturbances, Subject Zero truly is a miracle. No traces of mutation, both viruses stay dormant without any signs of amalgamation between the Phobos and Veronica."_ He took a sip of his brandy. _'Veronica and Phobos in one individual?'_ , the man wondered, continuing to read.

" _Subject Zero, a female, has been now under our watch since the Susteshvovanie Occurrence. No signs of mutation or unusual illnesses have occurred after two years. Below, you'll see an updated profile of the Subject. (Status: May 22_ _nd_ _2013)_ " His eyes followed the bottom of the report. The glass of Brandy almost slipped from his gloved hands. Taking off his sunglasses, his blue eyes widened.

The screen showed a photo of a red-haired woman. The picture was definitely not taken with her knowledge. The woman, dressed in tight blue jeans, a plain white shirt and a black leather jacket, was walking on a sidewalk. Her face not facing the camera, just the side of her visage visible. Black Ray-Ban's covering her eyes. Her red hair in a ponytail - a _trademark_ \- on her hand her mobile phone pressed against her ear.

The next photo showed the same person. This time with a clear shot of her face, no sunglasses hiding her blue eyes. Blue eyes, the man knew too well. She was standing in front of the traffic lights, waiting. Her hand still holding the device, her lips slightly parted. A beautiful woman, you had admit.

" _ **SUBJECT ZERO**_ " The report moved on.

 _ **AGE: 33**_

 _ **SEX: FEMALE**_

 _ **RACE: CAUCASIAN**_

 _ **PLACE OF BIRTH: RACCOON CITY**_

 _ **BLOOD TYPE: 0**_

 _ **HEIGHT: 5FT 6.5IN**_

 _ **MASS: 116LB**_

 _ **CURRENT AFFILIATION: NONE**_

 _ **ALSO KNOWN AS...**_

". _..Claire Redfield_.", he concluded. His voice a dark whisper. "What a pleasant suprise." A vicious smirk appearing on his lips. "Seems we will meet again soon, _dear heart_."

 **XXX**

 **June 28** **th** **2013, Toronto**

 **6.44 p.m**

" _Turn left now."_

 _Alright, alright, I got you, you stupid fuck._

Taking a right, Claire Redfield left the Highway, driving her black SUV gracefully and following the orders of the navigator. Today she would be visiting the Burtons, including their new family member, Natalia Korda. It's been almost two years since she has seen Barry, Moira and Natalia. But still, the memories still felt like yesterday. The incident in Susteshvovanie still lingered in her thoughts.

"Two years...", she said to herself. "Time flies, truly."

' _After all the outbreaks I've been through... Susteshvovanie affected me the most.',_ she admitted to herself while she drove smoothly through the streets of D.C.. After the incident, Claire Redfield's life turned for the worse. When the press caught the news of Neil Fishers betrayal, the reputation of TerraSave was ruined. Claire, who dedicated her life to TerraSave - to rescue the people in need, was feeling lost for the first time of her life. TerraSave was no more. Trying to find another agency to work for, she was refused by the people, she wanted to help so badly. They didn't only see Neil Fisher as a traitor. The trust towards former TerraSave workers was slim to almost none. No other company wanted the same thing to happen. Claire understood that. She experienced it and now she had to suffer with the consequences.

Being without work, Claire was getting uneasy. Her future looking dark, however she knew that she has been through much worse.

At some nights, she sat alone in her living-room and had a few drinks too much. Thinking of joining the B.S.A.A., following Barry, Jill and Chris. Fighting along with them. However Claire never wanted to be a fighter, she was more the rescuer type. Even though she had the skill of a fighter.

"Almost there.", she said to herself. She finally found herself in a nice suburban area, a bit away from the city. Her phone started vibrating next to her.

' _ **Piers Nivans calling'**_

Claire's eyes widened in surprise. The combat operative of the B.S.A.A. calling her. She had never met the man, however talked and wrote often with him, keeping status on her big brother Chris. Both liked to annoy her brother, she even send Piers some childhood pictures of Chris. Nivans and her always had a good laugh.

Quickly swiping to the accept option on her phone, she put her phone on speaker.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Nivans!", she answered cheerfully. A light chuckle was heard.

"Well hello to you, Claire!", his answered came. "How are things going for you, lil' red?" Claire's eyes rolled at that name.

"So far, so good. I'm in Toronto, now. Visiting Barry and the girls. How about you?" Claire noticed that she almost reached her destination. **x**

"Oh, old Barry! How I miss the guy." He chuckled. "Well, I just wanted you to know that Chris and I are heading for China. There has been an outbreak, you might've seen it already on the news." Claire nodded. "Yeah. So I've heard."

"We will take the plane in two hours, Chris wants you to know that he loves his little Claire-bear and wants you to know that he's alright." A soft chuckle. "Thank you for telling me, Piers. Did the B.S.A.A. let Jill join the operation?", she asked curiously.

"Unfortunely no, they still want her in HQ, doing all the reports." Claire hummed sadly. "Well, what can you do."

"Yeah." Claire finally reached her destination, a nice, big family crib with a beautiful garden. Parking next to Barry's Jeep, Claire turned the engine of her car off.

"Please be careful, Piers.", she said quietly. "No worries, Miss. I'll make sure our Captain Red and the unit stays safe."

"Don't forget to take care of yourself, too!", reminding him as she stepped off the vehicle. Opening the backseat door, she pulled out a bag with presents for the Burtons. She heard Piers laugh softly. "Don't worry, lil Red. After this mission, we can finally have that dinner I promised. Don't forget the photos!" Claire smiled brightly.

"I gotta go, Claire. Take care."

"You too, Piers. Thanks for the update." He hung up and Claire smiled sadly. _'Everything will be okay.'_

 **XXX**

" _Oh, oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride_

 _Oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride_

 _Taking my time on my ride_

 **XXX**

" _Ding Dong!"_

"Moira, could you please..?" Kathy Burtons voice echoed from the kitchen.

"On my way, Mom!" The oldest daughter of the Burtons ran down the stairs. _'It must be Claire!',_ she thought excitedly. _'It's been so long_!'

She hurried down the floor and opened the door. And there she was, the one and only Claire Redfield.

"Claire!", she exclaimed and hugged her straight away. Claire laughed until she was met with Moira's tight embrace. She yelped, however hugged her back as tight as she did.

"Well hello to you, Moira!", she replied sincere. "Let me look at you!", Claire pushed the now 24 year old woman a bit farther from her. Observing the beautiful, young woman. Moira's hair was longer since the last time Claire had seen her. And she dyed it blonde.

' _Somehow she reminds me of Sherry',_ Claire thought. _'I hope she's alright.'_

"You look amazing, dear!", she commented and Moira smiled brightly.

"Look at you!", she countered. "You're thirty something? You look like you're just in your twenties!" Claire laughed and shook her head. Yeah, she turned 33 this year. An age, she already despised.

"And did you lose some weight? You look way slimmer since the last time I saw you!", Moira added. ' _Wow, if I was in her age, I would die for such a body.'_

"Not that I noticed..", said Claire and hugged Moira again. "God, it's so good to see you!", she said. She knew it was a good decision to come here.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" A deep male voice coming out from the end of the hallway.

"Barry!" The 53-year old man smiled and made his way to his partners sister.

"It's good to see you, Claire.", he said as he hugged the younger Redfield. "Please come in!"

Claire followed Moira and Barry inside. Following them into the kitchen, she saw Kathy and Polly Burton preparing dinner.

"Claire!", Kathy greeted. She hadn't seen the woman for years. "Oh my, look at you!" Kathy hugged her, following by the younger sister of Moira, Polly.

"Hi Claire, good to see you again!"

"Kathy, Polly, thank you for the invitation!" She smiled brightly, feeling the warm welcome of the Burtons.

"Please.. take a seat!"

While Kathy and Polly prepared dinner, Claire, Barry and Moira sat next to them and enjoyed their beer. Moira told Claire about her new job in an anti-bioterrorism agency called ResZoi. An agency, Claire never heard of.

"They were founded recently and are located here in Toronto. They really need people, who are willing to help. Even better, people with experience." Claire nodded curiously. "Please tell me, you're still searching." Moira's voice full of hope. Claire let a small chuckle.

"Well, if they want me, they can have me.", she said and Moira shook her fist. "Awh Yeah!" Barry just shook his head.

"To think that she's already 24.", he mumbled. "Anyways..", Moira interrupted. "Since you're staying here for a while, I could arrange a meeting with my boss. I already told her about you. She can't wait meeting you!"

Claire's smile widened. Suddenly, just with one simple visit, her life seemed getting better. Moira was giving her hope for a new start. Funny, to think, that Claire introduced her to TerraSave. Suddenly a pang of guilt hit her.

' _If I never introduced her to Neil, she wouldn't have been caught in this mes_ s.' Claire quickly closed her eyes. ' _Enough of the 'what could have been'-bullshit, Claire!'_ , she warned herself. ' _That will kill you one day. Snap out of it.'_

Claire opened her eyes. "Moira, could you please tell me where the bath is?"

"Sure! Well, we have one right next to the main door and one's upstairs! Right next to Natalia's room."

"Ah, Natalia!", Claire said, remembering the strong, little girl she met during the incident. 'I _wonder, how she's doing._ '

"I'll be right here then!"

Standing up, she went upstairs, opening the first door on the right side. ' _Finally, the bathroom! I really need to pee..._ '

Making her way to the toilet, walking past a small mirror, she noticed something.

' _No.. not again.',_ she thought annoyed, turning back to the mirror and observed her face.

A red-purplish substance slowly circulated out of her nose. Quickly, she turned the water faucet on, her hands filling with cold water, splashing it on her face. She watched as her blood flushed away, looking up, she saw that her nose seemed normal again. Taking a few sheets of toilet paper, she blew her nose.

' _Okay, it stopped. But it occurs more often.._.' Claire gulped, looked at her reflection. Moira was right, she really lost some weight... and she looked younger than she actually was. She noticed that her hair also grew faster than usual... it was even longer than usual.

She looked down at the sink, where few seconds ago her blood was washed away.

' _You know, that this isn't normal._ ', she reminded herself. ' _Your blood used to be red only._ ' Claire shook her face, splashing once more cold water on her skin.

"I'm okay." She said to the reflection on the mirror. "I'm okay." _I'm alive, ain't I?_

Finishing her business in the bathroom, Claire left the room.

" _A cage went in search of a bird."_

The sweet voice of a girl filled the floor. Claire looked around, following the voice. She stopped in front of a slightly opened door with a label. _Natalia's room._

" _But now the bird is gone._ ", the voice continued. Slowly Claire opened the door and saw Natalia Korda's crookedly back. Entering her room, she noticed that Natalia didn't register her appearance. Standing behind the girl, she watched her reading aloud, listening to every word the little girl said..

" _The bird has changed."_ , finished the girl. Claire's eyes widened. _'Wait, isn't that Kafka?_ _Why is she reading Kafka_?' Her eyes lowered to the book, the girl was holding.

"The Zürau Aphorisms?!" Surprise and shock in Claire's voice. The girl turned around, meeting her glare. Cold blue eyes meeting warm blue ones. Claire gasped.

' _They look just like her eyes..._ ', she noticed. ' _The cold eyes of Alex Wesker.._.' Suddenly she noticed the girl's eyes change from a cold blue to a warm brown. ' _What the..?_ '

Natalia blinked, smiling warmly at the speechless Redfield.

"Claire!", she exclaimed sweetly, jumped up and hugged the confused Claire.

 **XXX**

What the fuck was that all about? Claire jobless, Moira finding a job for our lil' Red, Claire bleeding purple-red. Natalia quoting Kafka and switching eye colors?! Welcome to "Doubt", ladies and gentleman, yes i have lost my mind.

Nevertheless, I have to admit I had so much fun writing this prologue and I hope you had fun reading this madness! Please let me know! Was it bearable to read? Or was it a catastrophe? Let me know, what I can improve to make this more enjoyable.

But what interests me most... Do you guys like the story? The idea? Would you like to read more? Please let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for reading / following / favouring/ reviewing Doubt.

:*


	2. HEAVYDIRTYSOUL

_Ladies and Gentlemen, Chapter 1 has finally arrived. Enjoy!_

 **Chapter One: HEAVYDIRTYSOUL**

Claire blinked her blue eyes, taking slow, deep breathes. ' _Am I imagining things?_ ', she asked herself. She closed her eyes once more. Natalia's arms still wrapped around her slim frame, not letting her go. Her embrace felt warm, welcoming. It calmed her down for a mere moment.

"Claire?" She opened her eyes, looking below and meeting Natalia's warm brown eyes. ' _Brown, Claire. Her eyes are brown_.' A mantra that continued for the last seconds. ' _Not blue...Not blue_ '

"Natalia." Her voice quiet but warm. A slight smile appeared on her lips. Her eyes never leaving Natalia's. Her hand stroked her silk brown hair.

' _My mind is just playing games._ ' She nodded to herself. ' _Who can blame me after the shit I've been through?!'_

She pulled Natalia for a hug, caressing the soft cheeks of the young girl. Claire's blue eyes once more fixated on Natalia's. ' _Brown, brown, brown._ '

"You've grown, Missy.", she stated. Lifting the hand of the young girl, she twirled her. "Look at you!"

Natalia laughed. She turned 12 last month, wasn't as small as she was back then in the incident, almost reaching Claire's height.

"Well, it's been two years since you last saw me!", she explained, putting her hands on her hips. "I can't stay small forever, you know."

Claire let a small laugh, her posture seemed more relaxed. "Sassy, aren't we?" She took a seat on Natalia's bed. Her long legs crossed.

"How's school? I heard your marks are impressive." Her left eyebrow raised. During the two years, she and Moira kept contact via Mails. Moira often wrote about Natalia's accomplishments in school. She even had to skip a year, since she was doing so well.

Natalia shrugged. "Well, yeah I enjoy school. It's been so long since I've been able to go to one." Claire nodded approvingly. She knew that Natalia didn't have the opportunity back then to visit a school. Since the Terragrigia incident, where her parents died, she often had to switch locations. Visiting school was a rarity back then. After the incident, the Burton's adopted the back-then 10-year old girl. Barry and Moira took her with them in Toronto, welcoming her as a new part of their family.

Barry made sure Natalia had the chance to start a new normal life. Now she went to school, had her friends and a family that loved her.

"I'm really happy being here." Natalia admitted with a genuine smile.

"Barry and Moira not getting on your nerves?" Claire questioned with a slight smirk. Natalia laughed. "Not yet!" She took a seat next to Claire. "However Barry is really overprotective. Moira warned me about that, but she isn't better." Claire shook her head.

"Why am I not surprised?" Claire looked around her room. A desk, with some of her school equipment, a small TV with a...

"You have a _Playstation One_?", said Claire excitedly and pointed at the white-greyish gaming console. "I _loved_ that thing!" She stood up and went to the console, Natalia following her. As Claire admired the old console, she couldn't forget the memories she had with her own console. The many nights, she and her brother played _Tekken_ or _Street Fighter_. She remembered clearly kicking Chris's ass. Claire let out a soft chuckle. ' _Good times_.'

"It's Moira's old PS1. She gave it to me along with her games." Pointing to the shelf next to them, she showed Claire her collection.

" _Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid, TEKKEN_! Natalia, this is pure heaven!" Claire exclaimed, her inner child coming out.

"I know, right?", she admitted. Claire being the first girl, who seemed to have the same interest with video games as her. Moira and Polly weren't into video games anymore. However the younger Redfield...

"Let's play!" Claire exclaimed as she took the two controllers out of the shelf. "I'mma finish you in Tekken, girl!"

Natalia took the second Controller in her hand. "You wish, Claire!", she answered as Claire put the video game in the console and started the game. "I'll kick your ass!"

"Watch your language, _missy_..." Claire warned, however her lips couldn't hide that amused smirk of hers. "Now let _me_ kick your ass."

The nostalgic Playstation One starting sound filled the room and Claire sighed contently, enjoying this moment without any negative thoughts or doubts that appeared in her mind ever so often.

' _All is well.'_

 **xxx**

Claire stretched her body, letting out a small yawn. Her hand covering her open mouth. Standing on the garden of the Burton's, she admired the night sky of Toronto. Stars embellished the sky, the full moon showing it's glory.

"What a view!" She commented. Behind her on the lawn chair sat Barry, a beer on his hand, nodding approvingly. "Tonight is really beautiful." He admitted. "Thank you, Claire… for coming here. It's good to have you here."

She turned around, smiled at the older man. "It's really good to be here, however I should be the one who should be thankful." Taking a small gulp of her own beer, she took a seat next to him.

"Thank you for the invitation, for your help.", she said. "It feels like life's getting better and I have to thank you guys for that."

The door behind them opened and revealed Moira, who held her phone against her ear.

"Alright then! Thank you, Genevieve!" She closed the door behind her. "Claire is really excited to meet you! We can't wait for tomorrow. Till then! Good evening!" She ended the call and pointed directly to her survival partner. "Youuuuu, Miss, got a job interview!"

Claire turned around, starring wide eyed at the younger Burton. "What?!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Missy, do I have to speak louder for your elder ears? You have a job interview tomorrow!" Moira took a seat next to her friend.

"You'll meet my boss in one day, Genevieve Bourdieu. A really nice lady, you'll like her!" Claire raised up from her seat and turned to Moira. "You can't be serious."

"But I am!" Moira raised her arms, putting them on Claire's shoulders. She looked into Claire's blue eyes. "You will be working with me!" Moira smiled brightly. "We will be partners again! But on a more comfortable environment, that's for sure."

"Moira, I can't believe this... I... Thank you!" She embraced her partner, holding her tight. "But how can I ever repay you? I... I..." Claire was at loss of words. Moira shook her head, her hold on Claire's shoulders tightened.

"Claire, you owe me nothing. In fact, I owe you." The older woman looked at her confused. "Don't be so stupid, Red!" Moira rolled her eyes. "You've done so much for me, Claire. You were the one who made me realise what I wanted to become. You were the one, who opened the doors to my future. You were the one, who taught me to survive back in that hellhole. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here..." " _Moira_.." "Will you shush it! I'm not done!", she stopped her interrupter. " _You_ , Claire, taught me so much and I'm thankful for that. Now, can you stop thanking me and let me help you for once!" Barry laughed behind them, observing the two ladies.

"Moira's right, Claire." Barry said. "Let her help you for once." Claire sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, but just this one time." She shook her head at Moira and sat back again. "Whatever you say, Red." Moira said quietly, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"I'm serious." Claire retorted. " _Mhm_." Moira answered. "Finish your beer, Red."

The three of them sat in silence, drinking their beer and admiring the night sky. After a while the three left the garden, heading to bed.

"Good night, guys!", said Claire as she went upstairs to her room. The guest room of the Burton's that was located next to the bathroom, opposite of Natalia's room. Before she entered her room, she peaked at Natalia's room. The girl slept soundlessly on her bed, the console which they played earlier, lied on the floor with the two controllers. Claire smiled at the memory of them playing, hoping she could play again with her tomorrow.

She left the door slightly ajar, as it was before, then entered her room. It was a small, simple looking guest room. It had a small bed, a large mirror, a bookshelf with lots of cooking books and romance novels ( _probably Cathy's collection_ ), a chair and a desk. And of course a window, where you could see the full moon shining bright. Claire, who stood in the middle of the room, started undressing herself. Clad in her undergarments only, she unzipped her suit case and pulled her pyjamas out. Quickly, she put her shorts and tank top on. She turned the lights off and lied down on her bed. The moon light shone on her face and Claire admired the beauty of the night once more.

 **xxx**

"Make sure he does. He wasted _enough_ of my time. My patience is running out." Red polished nails drummed on the surface of the mahogany desk. "I want results in the next 12 hours." Slamming the phone shut, she sighed annoyingly.

"Incompetent scum." Standing up, the woman turned around facing the skyline of Toronto. "Good for nothing. Why did I hire them in the first place?" A plane flew over the building, traffic lights indicating the active night life of the city. The room, her office, was at the top of the building. Nothing but the clacking of her high heels can be heard inside the room. A sudden knock on the door haltered her steps.

" _Enter_!" The powerful voice echoed the room and the door opened. She turned halfway, observing the man entering her office.

The man, dressed professionally in a black suit and pants, white shirt and black leather shoes, entered the room. A brownish folder was carried by his right hand.

"Boss." He went closer to her desk. His expression stoic and void of any emotion. "We found the file you've asked for." His right arm stretched towards her, handing the file. "It's the recent one. Updated three hours ago." The woman nodded, the wanted file finally in her grasp.

"You can leave." She dismissed him, her back now facing the man. The man stood still for a moment. Hesitating.

"She's wanted." He remarked. "It's only a matter of time until.." Her high, threatening tone interrupted him. " _Leave_!"

He turned and left the office. The woman sat back on her chair, opening the file carefully. A malicious smirk appeared on her lips. _'It's indeed her!_ ' She leaned on the back of her chair. ' _Well, this is convenient_.' Going through the file, her smirk grew wider and wider until she let out a vicious laugh. Her eyes lingered on the image the page displayed.

"There you are, _Subject Zero_." She said quietly, observing the profile. "Or should I say _Claire_?" She stroked the picture of the woman.

"You are the key to everything." Her eyes lowered to the profile of the subject. A bold written remark was placed on the bottom of the page.

 **UPDATE 7/28/13: CURRENT LOCATION: TORONTO, CANADA**

"I can't wait for our interview, Miss Redfield." A sinister chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm sure ResZoi will profit from your... _abilities_."

 **xxx**

' _Hot...Too Hot'_

The thin white blanket fell off the bed. An annoyed moan escaped her lips. The slim body of hers was twisting and turning, trying to cool down but to no avail. Claire opened her tired eyes and was met with darkness. She blinked two, three times and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, seeing the outline of the furniture.

' _I can't believe it's so hot in here._ ' She rose up, sitting on the bed. Her hands on her forehead, feeling the heat of her body. She was burning.

' _Do I have a fever?'_ She thought to herself and shook her head. Her fingers rubbing over her tired eyes. She sat still for the moment, taking deep breathes. Her palm still on her head, she felt even hotter than she was before.

Claire stood up. Her vision seemed a bit blurry, she had to wait a mere second till the things were clear enough for her. With slow and careful steps she went in front of the window. The moon still shining, the street was quiet and nobody was in sight. Claire opened the window and let the cool night breeze in. She felt the cold on her heated body, sighing in content.

' _Ooooh, this feels good_.' She lifted her tank top, revealing her toned stomach. She waved the lower part of her tank, trying to cool down her body. ' _Weird, today's weather wasn't that hot_.'

Her hands ran over her red hair. Her pony tail got loose, several stands sticking on her heated skin. Claire quickly pulled her hair up in a bun, tying the red mess. She felt her sweated neck and face. Her whole body was sweating and feverish hot.

With slow, quiet steps she left the guest room, tip toeing to the bathroom next door. Her vision still playing tricks with her. The floor seemed to spin for some seconds. Claire leaned on the cold wall, taking a moment to readjust. She closed her eyes. Her head kept on spinning and spinning. ' _Probably just a stupid fever.'_

Reaching the bath room door she opened it quietly, entering the room. Her slippery, warm feet touched the cold tile. She closed the door and stood in front of the sink. Remembering her blood dripping down the sink earlier, she shut her eyes. Hands gripping the edge of the sink, she looked up at her reflection. Strands of her hair were sticking on her sweated visage. Her blue eyes looking tired at her, smaller than usual due fatigue. Her lips, paler than usual in a thin straight line. ' _A mess._ ' She merely remarked.

Her right hand gripped the faucet and turned it. The tips of her fingers felt the ice cold water. She put the palms of her hands together, cupping a small amount of cold water. Lowering her head, she washed her face with the cool liquid.

' _Much better_!' She continued to do so for three, four times until she turned the faucet off and grabbing the towel next to her. As she dried her face, dizziness kicked in, blurring her sight, making her feel like she was spinning around.

"Wha—" She felt the lost of balance of her body, swaying across the room. The towel fell on the cold tile. Claire randomly grabbed the sink, holding it as if her life depended on it. Her head low, leaning against the edge of the sink. Her breathes came out fast and short. Her knuckles turned white as she held on the sink. The sounds of her heavy breathing filled the room. Her eyes shut, trying to gain control of her trembling body. The heat inside of her seemed gone.

She stood there, for several minutes, just breathing, calming down. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The white tiles of the Burton's bathroom welcomed her sight. She raised her head slowly, the dizziness seemed to vanish. The grip on the sink loosened for a bit, however remained. Taking deep breathes, she tried to stand straight, closing her eyes once more.

Something wet dripped down on the side of her temple. Probably a drop of water. The back of her hand wiped the it away. The spinning in her head ended, her body responded the way she wanted to. Claire opened her eyes, noticing the red marks on the back of her hand.

' _Is that...?_ ' Her brows set on a straight line. Was she..?

Her head rose up, her eyes widened at the reflection.

Blood. The red substance on her hand was her blood. Blood, that was coming of her temple. Blood, that dripped down, covering her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her cheeks... covering almost her whole face.

She wanted to scream, yell out, however the knot in her throat stopped her from doing so. She watched as more and more blood flood over her face. Her blue eyes... changing the colors right in front of her. The clear blue turning into a soft lavender, changing into a dark shade of violet. She blinked furiously, the smell of her blood entering her nostrils. A choking sound escaped her blood covered lips. Her hands, shaking wild, uncontrollable. The drops of blood flowing down her neck, lower to her décolleté.

Her hands reached for the faucet once more, turning it to the hilt. The cold water splashed in a generous amount, however Claire didn't care. Sinking her head, she washed her face. Cold water hitting her skin once more. Hands, rubbing roughly on her face, trying to clean it. Up and down, up and down, making sure no part of her skin was left untouched. ' _What's happening to me?!_ '

Her hands stopped, feeling the coldness of her skin. She turned the faucet off, her head still low, not visible in the mirror in front of her. The towel, she had before, lied on the tile. She picked it up, drying her skin once more. Satisfied, she fold the towel neatly, not finding any trace of her blood. Once more, she looked at her reflection. Blue met blue. Clear skin, without any signs of blood on wounds greeted her.

She stepped closer, examining every inch of her face. She stared at her eyes... clear blue.

' _Blue... Blue... Blue... Theyˋre blue. My blue eyes.._.' Blinking a few times, she saw no chance in them. ' _Normal_.'

Her fingertips softly traced her temple, looking for wounds or any signs of blood. She found none. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. She sat down of the closed lid of the toilet. Her fingers ran through her red hair. Elbows placed on her thighs. Her head hung low. A tear drop escaping her eyes. Claire wiped it away, checked if the liquid wasn't something else then blood. Her palms covered her tired, closed eyes and she let out a small sob. More and more tears escaped her eyes. She wished she could stop them but she felt too weak. Too tired.

' _What's wrong with me?'_ Her body shook hard as she cried more and more. Her breathing uncontrollable. ' _What happened to me?'_

She released the palms off her eyes and stared directly in the mirror. Puffy, bloodshot, blue eyes stared at the reflection. She shook her head, pinched her arms, hoping that she would wake up from this nightmare. However deep inside of her, she knew, that this nightmare has become her reality. She knew that she couldn't hide this change in her forever.

' _I should rest first.'_ She stood up. _'I'm too confused to even think straight.'_

Claire left the bathroom, taking once again slow and quiet steps to not wake anybody. Her feet stopped in front of a slightly opened door. Natalia's room. Peaking inside, she saw the brunette sleeping tight. A small smile reached her lips. ' _At least she can sleep well_.' Her eyes looked next to the girl's night stand. A thick, used book was placed on the stand. Claire carefully entered the room, making her way towards the bed. Her eyes focused on the book on her nightstand.

A well-used copy of Kafka's _"The Zürau Aphorisms_ " was placed next to a lit lamp and small framed picture of the girl and the Burtons. Claire reached for the book.

' _It is really a Kafka book.'_ Holding the book in her hand, she turned it around, seeing a stamp of a library. ' _Since when do 12-year olds read Kafka_?' A small bookmark was between the pages. Claire opened up the page and saw the passage that Natalia had read earlier that day.

' _I wasn't imagining things_.' She thought. _'But maybe the change of her eyes was part of my imagination. Maybe Kafka directly reminds me of that crazy overseeing Bitch._ ' Closing the book, she went to put it back on the stand. However she stood still for a moment, noticing a snippet of paper looking out from one of the pages. Claire opened the book again. Small snippets were put between pages. Articles from diverse newspapers greeted Claire's sight.

' **OUTBREAK IN CHINA' 'PRESIDENT INFECTED DURING TALL OAKS INCIDENT' 'VACCINE FOR UROBOROS DISCOVERED' 'WHO IS BEHIND NEO-UMBRELLA' 'C-VIRUS: WORLD'S NEWEST THREAT' 'EFFECTS OF C-VIRUS'**

' _These are recent.'_ Claire noticed. ' _Why is she keeping them?'_

The articles were spread in different pages. They were chronically sorted, Claire figured. However what striked out the most was the fact that the reports of the C-Virus and the content and effects of the said Virus were marked. The little girl seemed to search for information of the new Virus. _'Why is she so curious of the C-Virus_?'

Claire reached the last snippet. It was another informational article about the Chrysalid-Virus. The back of the snippet had handwritten notes. She turned the snipped around.

' _C-Virus: variant of Progenitor, seems to have traces of G and Veronica as seen by the behaviour of the so-called Javo's – source of G and Veronica not clear – infected seem to be more... intelligible than infected of T, can use weapons and co-ordinate attacks as seen_ _on_ _video... direct infection creates these Javo's immediately, rapid increase of strength and speed, ability to heal and mutate even evolve.. subjects develop several eyes... HOWEVER (this needs more investigation) some infected stay in the so called Chrysalid state (seen at Edonia files)... Another subjects called Lepotica release the Virus through gases that infect subjects through inhaling...Infected enter in state of febrility, body heat increases, the more damage the more heat.. Subjects succumb to their wounds and corpses burn up... Traces of Veronica visible through development of insect-like appendages... G is visible in its physical trauma aspects as the victims of C tend to change forms when they are seriously injured...'_

She was speechless, reading the notes over and over again. ' _There's no way that she wrote this!_ ' But Claire knew this was sweet Natalia's handwriting. ' _No... no... that's not possible.'_ Pictures of infected a _nd followed the note. Each of them with names. 'This is her writing. I saw it today when she showed me her school tests. It's the same fucking._..' Her eyes looked back on the girl. This sweet girl wrote the note about a new Virus. She knew exactly where the Virus adapted from.. what the effects where _.. 'But how does she know all of this? How does she know the effects of Veronica? Of G? She wasn't even born that time! How the fuck...'_ Then Claire stood still, her eyes wider than before. Realization clearly written on her face. ' _She wasn't born when G nor Veronica occurred. However_...' The blue eyes she looked earlier today appeared on her mind. ' _Alex Wesker was... Alex Wesker worked for Umbrella. Alex Wesker knew what G and Veronica was about... But she died. I killed her.'_ She looked back on the book. ' _Didn't I?... Have I lost my mind for real?'_

She felt it. The change. The change of her body, the way her blood looked, the dizziness that happened earlier before, the hallucinations? Claire doubted her ability to see what's real or not. She doubted the way her body reacted. The things she saw. The things she used to believe in. ' _Nothing's alright.'_ The deep part of her mind told her. ' _This right here should be proof enough. Hell, what just happened in the bathroom should be proof enough that NOTHING's alright._ ' Claire shook her head and put the book back on the nightstand.

"What do you think you're doing?" A cold voice spoke. Claire gasped in surprise. The young girl had woken up, now starring at the intruder. Claire looked at the girl. She was sitting on her bed, dressed in her pyjamas. Her long, brunette hair was in its braid. Her blue eyes stared at the blue one's of the intruder.

' _Blue_...' Claire remembered again. _'Her eyes are blue._..' She gulped. ' _Not brown_.' She knew that this girl in front of her wasn't Natalia Korda-Burton. Survivor of the Terragrigia and Sushestvovanie incidents. This wasn't the girl that accompanied Moira and her through that incident two years ago. No. She knew. Those blue eyes didn't belong to her. That cold voice that answered her wasn't her usual sound.

The girl in front of her, reminded Claire of someone else. A woman, who was responsible for many deaths. A woman, who sacrificed her life for immortality. A woman, she had encountered two years ago on the other side of the glass ceiling. The same, insane woman who put that gun on her hand and pulled the trigger. Those blue eyes were from the same woman, Claire had shot in the face two years ago. The woman, who claimed herself as the Overseer. The woman named...

" _Alex_." Her voice was void of any emotion. Cold, lifeless. Her clear, blue eyes stared coldly at the girl. The girls eyes widened in shock. Her lips on a straight, serious line. The girl sat up straight, her eyes not leaving the woman's.

Little did the woman in front of her knew, that the girl noticed that something was off with her, too. She could smell it. That woman... was different than any human being, she has seen before. She smirked inwardly. Claire Redfield seemed more valuable than she ever thought. And the woman had no idea... or maybe she knew?

"Claire." She answered in a fake, sweet tone. Claire knew it still wasn't Natalia talking. She felt her body heating up once again. ' _No_!' She internally screamed. ' _Not again. Not now!'_

The girl's eyes widened in astonishment. Purplish drops of blood leaked out of the red head's nose. The girl reached up to her, wiping the drop with her thumb away. Her other hand held on the woman's wrist. She quietly gasped out in pain. ' _She's burning.._.' She looked up at Claire. She was trembling, her eyes looking empty, lifeless... Her lips were pale, sort of blue purplish, however her body was heating up.

"Veronica." The girl whispered. ' _She has traces of T-Veronica in her! How was this possible?_ '

The dizziness returned. Claire felt her environment spinning around once more. However this time is was more intense. Her eyes, though they were open, showed nothing. Just darkness. She heard the girl's voice, but couldn't make up the words she whispered. She lost control.

' _God, help me_.' Her body felt numb, she was in a state of nothingness. The darkness welcomed her with a burning hot embrace. _'Help me._ '

 **xxx**

Eyes wide, a loud gasp escaped her lips. Her sweating body rapidly lifted up off the warm bed.

Breathing fast, in and out, Claire Redfield sat up of her guest bed, looking around her. The sun was shining inside her room, blinding her sight a bit. Blinking a few times, she adjusted her view. Her suitcase was still open, the way she left it last night, in the middle of the room. Her body still clad in her pyjama shorts and tank top, all clean with some crinkles on them.

"What...?!" She asked herself. "How... What..."

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Cheery Moira Burton entered the room, already dressed in skinny jeans and one of her band tops. She entered the guest room, beaming at Claire. Claire stared confused at her. Her eyes in small slits, her mouth in a wide pout.

"Looks like someone isn't a morning person." She pushed the blankets off Claire's form. " _Awhhh_ how cute! You wear Snoopy shorts!" She points at Claire's pyjama bottoms. "That's a wonderful sight to wake up to!"

Claire let out a soft chuckle, rubbing on her tired eyes. "Morning, Moira." She said and put her bare feet on the cold, wooden floor. Taking a deep breathe, she composed herself. She didn't feel any dizziness, nor felt any unusual signs of her body. She felt... _normal_.

"Do you always wake your guests like that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, looking up at her friend. "Only if the guest is Claire Redfield!" Her smile bright as today's sun. "Get ready, you lazy bum! You have an interview today."

' _Oh, yeah! She's right_.' Claire's eyes widened. "Right! Shit, I need to get ready! What time is it?" Her voice hectic, getting up quickly and searching for clothes of her suitcase. "Almost 10. You have about an hour till I drive you there." She informed the redhead. Claire picked out a matching set of underwear, a black pencil skirt and a tank top. "Thank you for waking me up!", she said and took her clothes, leaving the room. "I need to get ready!" She hurried to the bathroom.

Moira just shook her head, a smirk on her lips. "Unbelievable, this woman."

Claire jumped under the shower, feeling the cold stream of water on her body. She loved cold showers in the morning. ' _The best way to start the day._ ' She washed her long, red hair and scrubbed her pale body with some body gel. Stepping out of the shower, she dried her body, put her undergarments on. Drying her hair with a blow dryer she watched her reflection on the mirror, holding still for a moment.

Memories from last night flooded her thoughts. Her heated body, the dizziness, her bloodied face in front of the mirror. Her eyes widened at her reflection. How could she forget..?

Kafka's book entered her thought, the bio-terrorism articles inside the book. The notes Natalia wrote, behind the articles. Claire turned the blow dryer off, starring empty at the sink. _'The notes.. Alex wrote.'_ The blue eyes of Alex Wesker flashed her mind, the cold voice asking what she was doing in her room. Her cold smile, as Claire called her Alex. The girl's thumb, wiping the blood of her face. Her cold voice talking to her as she slipped into unconsciousness...

Claire remembered it all. _'But why did I wake up back in the bed again?'_ She asked herself. ' _There's no way she'd carried me all the way. That's nonsense._ ' She unplugged the blow dryer, putting it back where it was before. She checked the towel she had used last night to dry off her bloodied face. No blood marks visible. She dressed herself, her thoughts still lingered at last night's occurrences.

' _Maybe it didn't happen at all? My mind's fucking with me again. Maybe it was all a dream._..' Fully dressed, she checked her appearance on the mirror. Pulling out some make up articles of her small cosmetic bag, she applied a bit make-up on. Happy, with the way she looked, she nodded at her reflection. ' _But it felt so real_.'

She left the bathroom, going back to her room to put her stuff back in the suitcase. She found her black heels and put them on. The watch on her wrist notified her that she still had 15 minutes left. After filling her black handbag with all the necessities she needed, she left the room and made her way downstairs.

"Claire!" She turned around. Natalia Korda stood in front of the door of her room, still wearing her pyjamas. Her brunette hair in a loosened braid. Claire opened her mouth to greet the girl, however stopped as she looked at the girl's blue eyes. ' _Alex's eyes!'_

The girl smirked maliciously and Claire's eyes widened. ' _That's Wesker!'_ Her mind screamed. ' _It was all real.'_

"Good morning." The girl said in a monotonous tone, not really suiting to the persona of Natalia. "I hope, you had a good rest." Claire couldn't speak. She wasn't able to, being confused with the situation she was in. ' _What happened to Natalia?... What is going on here.'_

"I..." She stuttered, walking closer to the girl. The girl's smirk still visible on her face, she looked up at the lady. She reached out her hand to stroke the woman's face. Her thumb stroking under her nose. The girl laughed in a cutely manner and looked at her clean thumb.

"Alex." Claire whispered and the girl's smirk vanished. Then, Claire saw it again. The blue in her eyes disappeared... turning into a warm brown.

"Natalia." She said and the girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Claire!" She said astonished. She smiled, a warm welcoming smile that Claire knew too well from the girl. "Sorry, I spaced out." She excused herself, however smiled.

"You look good today! Today's the interview, right?" Claire just nodded, her eyes still fixated on Natalia. Scared that her eyes will turn to a cold blue once again.

"Good luck! Although, you don't need it. You got this." She smiled at Claire and hugged her. "We play some games later, won't we?"

"Yeah..." Claire answered. The confusion in her voice visible.

"Claire!" Moira's voice echoed from downstairs. "We gotta go!"

"You gotta go, Claire!" Natalia informed her again. "Don't be too late on your interview." Claire could only nod as she turned away and walked downstairs. She felt Natalia's eyes looking at her, however she didn't look back. ' _I don't know what to believe anymore. I'm officially crazy.'_

 **xxx**

' _ **Since the Sustevovanie incident, a lot of changes have proceeded in my life. The loss of my job, my trust in people... the change in my body and my ability to see what real or not. I know... something's wrong with me. I just tried to... to avoid it. The fact, that my body changes. The way my blood looks, the way my body reacts, heats up. It wasn't like this before, I'm sure of it. I'm scared. Scared of myself. Scared what's happening to me. Scared of the future. Since I'm here, I feel something's about to come. I just don't know what. I don't even know anymore what reality is. I'm scared of Natalia. These dreams, hallucinations I have... are they even dreams? They worry me. I worry about Natalia's safety. I swear to god, what I saw was real. The books, the snippets, the fucking notes written in her writing. Those blue eyes that I looked upon last night, even today. These eyes were Weskers. I'm sure of it...**_

 _ **Maybe I really lost it, after all I've been through. I don't know what to believe anymore**_ **.'**

"Well, this is something." Claire looked up, admiring the tall, new-built building in front of her. The logo of _ResZoi_ at the top of the building. ' _Saving the world, one step at a time'_ printed underneath the image of the organization.

"Welcome to the HQ of _ResZoi_!" Moira announced, wrapping her arm around Claire's waist. "My workplace and your future work place, too!" Claire let out a small laugh. The short-haired young woman pushed her friend closer to the entrance.

"Don't be so shy. Enter already!" Claire slowly walked towards the entrance of the building. "Moira, you gotta know. It's been a while since I had a job interview. I'm a bit nervous." Moira rolled her eyes. "Nervous without a reason, silly! Ms. Bourdieu is really looking forward meeting you! Why shouldn't she? You're Claire _fucking_ Redfield. A _fucking_ survivor of four outbreaks!" They both entered the building.

"Listen, you have no reason to be nervous. You're wanted here." _Oh, she had no idea._ "You will slay, girl!" Moira flipped her short hair back and Claire rolled her eyes, however couldn't hide the small giggle. "You're crazy." She said to her. "But thank you, Moira. You've been the biggest help." Her voice sincere. "Shush it, cutie." Moira send her a warming smile. "Unfortunely, I can't join your interview." She lifted the files in her hand. "I got paperwork to do." The Burton put a grimace. Both girls stood in front of the reception, people passing by, on their way to their offices.

"I know, you will kill it and get the job. After that, we go out and get _wasted_." Claire raised her eyebrows at Moira's plan. "Since when did I agree to that?" "Just now, silly! You need to go out with me! Have a little fiesta, some drinks and maybe..." Moira put a cheeky smirk. "Maybe you find a _nice male companion_." Claire shook her head. "Go to work, Moira." She said in a fake serious tone. "Oh, I will! Well, I would wish you luck, however I know you don't need it, Red!" She hugged her friend and went to one of the elevators behind the reception. "And call me, when you're done!"

"Will do!" Claire answered and watched her friend enter on of the elevators. She sighed and walked over to the reception. A young, blonde woman sat behind the desk, looking at her computer screen and typing quickly at the keyboard. She noticed the red-haired woman in front of her desk and gave her a beaming smile.

"Welcome to _ResZoi_! How can I help you?" Claire smiled back at the woman, her blue eyes shinning. "Hi, my name is Claire Redfield. I have an interview today with Ms. Bourdieu." The blonde nodded and looked at her screen. "Ah, yes! Miss Redfield. You're perfectly on time. Ms. Bourdieu should be back in her office by now, so why don't you take the elevators to the top floor? I'm sure someone will pick you up, I'll tell them that you're on your way." Claire nodded. "I will! Thank you very much." Giving the blonde a small smile, she made her way to one of the elevators. Pressing the button, she waited for the elevator to arrive. After a few seconds, a small _bing_ signalized Claire, that the elevator had arrived. Entering the empty elevator she pressed the bottom on the top floor and watched as the door closed.

Claire took deep breathes, her hands holding her bag tight. Standing straight, she observed the monitor of the elevator. She was now at the 11th floor, still had 25 floors left.

' _You got this, Claire_.' She encouraged herself. ' _Moira even said that Ms. Bourdieu wants to meet you and apparently wants you on the team. So why worry._ ' She nodded, closing her eyes. ' _Finally, I'll be able to work again!'_ A smile appeared on her lips. She missed working.

Opening her eyes, she noticed that the elevator came to a stop. "Here we go, Red." She whispered to herself, walking closer to the door. The door didn't open. Claire looked at the elevator screen and noticed that she was still on level 11.

' _What_...?' Suddenly the elevator started rocking and Claire crashed against the back of the elevator. "What's going on?!"

The elevator stopped moving and the lights inside started flickering until they were off. ' _No... Not now._ ' She looked back on the screen and noticed it was turned off. "Shit!", she exclaimed, hitting the screen. Why now of all the times?! The lights of the level buttons were turned off, except the emergency button. Claire let out a frustrated sigh.

Standing in the dark, Claire Redfield found herself stuck in an empty elevator.

 **xxx**

 _And that was the first Chapter of Doubt. Kept you waiting, huh?_

 _First of all, I want to thank every one of you for the Reviews of the Prologue. You guys are insane! Thank you so much. It makes me so happy to know that you guys are enjoying this story and want to read more of it. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter as well. It came out longer than I actually planned. I actually wanted to stop right before Claire's awakening but boy was I on a roll!_

 _Please tell me your thoughts of this chapter, first: did you like it? Any improvements I could make in aspects of grammar or writing (this means a lot to me, so please correct me if i make some major mistakes? You like the plot so far and if so... what do you think comes next? What is your view on Claire's and Ale- 'cough' Natalia? Please let me know. Hope we will see each other on the review page or the next chapter!_

 _Can't wait!_

 _Sylviaachristel_


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